Improved truss



'tout sara HENRY SPILLMANN, OFl NEW ORLE ANS,5LOUISIANA.

Letters .Patent No. 94,522, dated September 7, 1869.

IMPROVE!) TR'U'SS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

v, Be it known that I, HENRY SPILLMANN, of the city of New Orleans,State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new, useful, and improvedTruss;'and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawing, making a part of this specification, on which it is shown inconnection with theends ,.ferring to the drawing, ou which all that[claim as of my invention is clearly shown.

On the drawing- A.v is the metallic frame, to which I have referred, towhich the pads B are secured, as shown. This frame should be made aslight as is compatible with a due regard to strength, and covered 'withlinen, or other proper material, in order to prevent chafing orirritation of the parts of the body vof the wearer, with which it maycome in contact. It is curved according to the size ot' the person forwhom it is intended. lhe pads B are rnade of red cedar, or othernonabsorbing wood, or of glass, china, or ivory.

At the extremities of the frame A are pivoted the two` notched levers, OC', in suoli manner that they will articulate freely at the points ofconuectiorr a a.

These levers are provided with three notches, each as shown, so thatthey can be adjusted on the pins b b', and regulate the pressure on thepads B according to the nature of the hernia or orifices against whichthey inrpinge.

The pins b b project from plates D D', which are respectively xed onthe'ends of the body-band, and in which the elongated slots c c' aremade of the form as shown, to receive the pins d d', that project fromthe frame A.

The body-band is composed of leather at its e'X- trernities, in orderthe better to secure the plates D D thereto, `.but elsewhere, that is tosay, in its central portion, of Inda-rubber cloth, or some other equallyelastic fabric.

In he use of my truss, if a very considerable pressure is necessary, thelevers C C are adjusted on the pins b b by slipping the outer notches inthe former over the latter. Ii' a less pressure is required, theadjustment'is as shown ou thc drawing, thatis to say, the pins b b' areplaced in the central notches; and if only a moderate or gentle pressureis neededthen the inside notches are brought into connection with` saidpins, for it will'be observedthat the relation and tyran.

action of the levers 05C' on the frame A, is su'cb that the latter isthrown out at its upper edge, and brought toward the body of the wearerat its lower edge, to which the pads B are` secured, to a greater orless extent, accordingly as the said levers are adjusted on the pins bbf through the agency of the outer or inner notches in the foimerr Thetotal disconnection of the levers C C from the pins b b', takes oiinearly ally the pressure of the pads, or, in other words, reduces it tosuch extent as to make it almost rrappreciable to the Y There are nosprings in it, no back pads, no straps around the legs, uo metallic orother hard part crossing the spine, butin its back sections, consistingot an elastic belt or band,which, yielding easily to every4 movement ofthe body of the wearer, is scarcely felt It completely prevents anypressure except through I the pads, where the pressure is regulated andcontrolled, at the pleasure of the wearer, by a simple adjustment ofthelevers O 0,'.

It is so constructed that the metallic portion of 'it does not lie overany bone that is near the skin, and hence no irritation can possiblyoccur, but only over the lower portion oi the abdomen, to which itisfitted before it is put on. r

It does not require to be rnade'of costly tempered steel, but is aseiective when constructed of one metal as another, provided always thesame possesses suicient strength to sust-ain the slight strain to whichit is necessarily sometimes subjected.

-It maintains itself in proper position better' than any other truss ofwhich I have any knowledge.

It can be used for a single rupture on the right or the left, or withtwopads, as shown, for a double rup ture.

When used for a single rupture, the frame A protects the unruptured sideby a gcrrtlepressure, which is of great in rportance.

Finally, when properly fitted to the wearer, it gives less .trouble inevery way than anyother in existence, is more easily worn,and will lastlonger.

Having thus describedy my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The' metallic frame. A, when provided with thenotched levers G C', andotherwise fitted and constructed-as herein described, in combinationwith an elastic body-band or belt, to which the plates D D' are secured,when these plates are provided with the pins In b' and the elongatedapertures c c', substantially as herein described, for the purpose setforth. H. SPILLMAL'N. Witnesses: g

Runes R. RHoDns, H. N. Jnnrmrs.

